“The European Defence Agency and the EU Satellite Centre today demonstrated how intelligence images from many sources and in multiple formats could in the future be delivered to a single workstation at headquarters or in the field, in support of EU operations. The demonstration of the initial functionalities of the Tactical Imagery Exploitation System (TIES) system took place at the EU Satellite Centre (SatCen) in Torrejon, Spain, which is expected to be one of the main potential EU users of any such system in the future.
“Geospatial intelligence is a key enabler for effective ESDP operations. The TIES workstation is a major step forward in bringing that capability to operational decision-makers,” said Frank Asbeck, Director of SATCEN.
“We are delighted to be working with EU Satellite Centre on this initiative, which demonstrates how this kind of European collaboration can produce real practical benefits both for our Member States and the institutions responsible for supporting EU operations,” EDA Chief Executive Alexander Weis said in Torrejon.
The project is the result of a decision by the EDA Steering Board in May 2006, which recognised the need for a workstation for Imagery Analysis, capable of receiving imagery data in different formats and fusing it into one usable and workable Intelligence product.
It aims to compensate the for lack of interoperability between imagery-producing I SR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) systems and ground terminals. Currently many systems can link only to a single, dedicated ground terminal that is not able to receive and process any data coming from other sources.
The demonstrator will remain available at SatCen so that individual participating Member States will be able to evaluate the product. They have offered to provide trained imagery analysts or have made available tactical imagery data to be used to test the system. The trials will end in September 2008.
A separate Ad Hoc Project Management Group on TIES has been established to discuss the results, and to propose any modifications if necessary. Demonstration Day of the Tactical Imagery Exploitation System (TIES).
Officials from the European Defence Agency, the EU Satellite Centre and European governments attending a Demonstration Day of the Tactical Imagery Exploitation System (TIES) at SatCen in Torrejon, Spain, on 20 Februrary 2008.
TIES Project Background
The aim of the contract is to deliver a TIES demonstration/experiment based at EU SatCen in order to spur wider adoption of such capability within the EU ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition And Reconnaissance) community, with the following specific sub-objectives:
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To reduce technical risk and identify organisational and operational consequences associated with the introduction of TIES to Deployed Force structures, so as to encourage procurement of a capability which improves operational efficiency, effectiveness and interoperability.
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To prove the basic functionality of an EU Imagery Architecture.
Trial Objectives
The trial is a Concept Capability Demonstrator (CCD). The objectives of the trial are to demonstrate:
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The utilities of TIES for tasks in all phases of a developing crisis, simulating the use of TIES at the EU SatCen, at an Operational HQ, at a Field HQ preparing for deployment, and then in the field close to an FHQ or to tactical ground receiving stations.
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That a bespoke, tailored Imagery Product Library (IPL), based on EU SatCen library product, can be uploaded into an imagery management system within TIES.
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That an imagery analyst working on the TIES can manipulate and analyse imagery, using both the IPL and imagery from tactical sensors, to produce tailored imagery products (e.g. annotated imagery) and intelligence text reports, in response to specific Requests for Information (RFIs) from a commander or other customer.
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That the TIES can import and process a representative range of current tactical imagery data formats. This importation should be direct, via a network, or via various electro-optical/electro-magnetic media (e.g. DVD, CD and floppy discs) and legacy wet-film products digitised internally within the TIES system.
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That IPL updates and other imagery data can be transmitted from the EU SatCen to the TIES, and that the tactical imagery data imported onto the TIES can be transmitted to the EU SatCen for further exploitation and manipulation.
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That intelligence reports (including annotated imagery) and RFIs can be both received and sent from and to the TIES workstation via for demonstration purposes the EU OPSWAN.
EU Satellite Center Background
The European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen) is an Agency of the European Union which works in the frame of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, especially in support of the European Security and Defence Policy. It provides geospatial intelligence products and services to the Council of the EU, the Member States, the Commission, Third States1 and international organisations. EU SatCen works complementarily to, and in cooperation with, the geospatial intelligence resources of Member States.
1 Third States' are non-EU European NATO members and other States which are candidates for accession to the EU